A Mindset for the Anthropocene
Duration
Project website www.ama-project.org
Co-Creative Reflection and Dialogue Space at COP27 from 06.11. to 18.11.2022
Egoism, competitive thinking, and consumerism - these qualities characterise the dominant behaviours, life-worlds and lifestyles in modern industrial societies. But the transition towards more sustainable societies presupposes a radical transformation of many of the attitudes, convictions and world views that are deeply rooted in contemporary culture. Can human qualities such as compassion, altruism and mindfulness foster changes in collective thinking and action, and lend momentum to a transformation towards sustainability? The research project "A Mindset for the Anthropocene" will investigate this connection, establish a platform for debate, and promote the cultivation of transformative mindsets in sustainability contexts.
New thinking for a sustainable society
The practice of mindfulness has recently emerged as a mega-trend in Western societies. With its focus on inner qualities, mindfulness is generally thought of as a practice to benefit individual well-being and personal development. But could it also stimulate processes of collective transformation towards sustainability and help to protect the natural environment? Against this background, the AMA project will study the opportunities to transform collective thinking and action for a mindful and cooperative future.
Providing support to other IASS projects
Workshops at the institute and events staged within the framework of other IASS projects will provide opportunities for researchers to experience and reflect upon the role of mindfulness in sustainability processes. This will be complemented by a series of events at the IASS to foster dialogue with external partners. The project will establish a platform for debate and, with the support of IASS Fellows, create a network dedicated to promoting mindfulness as a tool for societal transformations towards sustainability. Other outputs from this project will include regular contributions to the IASS blog and at least one scientific paper.
Investigating mindsets at the UN climate conferences
In the context of the project a concept was developed for a „co-creative reflection and dialog space (CCRDS)". It was first tested at COP24 and then established and investigated at COP25 together with several international partners (Lund University, University of East Anglia, Chalmers University of Technology). The research interest aims at identifying the dominant culture of interaction among stakeholders at the COP and to discuss, how a culture can be supported that effectively enables necessary action for the implementation of the transnational agreements. The results are also used to further develop various methods that can shape supportive conversation spaces. If you would like to stay informed about the research results, publications and further conceptual developments please register for our newsletter. Further information can be found here.
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